Circuit-controller.



S. P. HULL.

CIRCUIT. CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY25,1'912.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

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wmvfssz s S. P. HULL.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 25,1912.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

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UNITED PAiIEN'l? @FFlCE.

, SA'lifilUEL P. HULL, OF YONKERS, NEW $031K.

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Tool! it may. cone-em;

Be it known that I, SAMUEL P. HULL, a citlzen ot the United-States, residing. at

Yonkers, in .the county. of Westchester and-- State. of New 'York, have-invented certain new and .u lseful- Improvements in Circuit Controllersof which thefollowing is a the."

' thereof.

- and signals.

specification, reference being "had therein to accompanymg drawigigs, .torming part My invention relates generally to electric circuit controllers and relates particularly to circuit controllers for; use in connection with the tappet bars of interlocking machines employed for controlling railway switches One of the prime objects of myinvention is compactness of'construction while COI11' v plying with standard requirements, enabling a large number of circuits to be controlled by eachtappet bar.

'7 Another important object of my 7 invention is to permit a wide variety in the circuits controlled.

Other more general objects i015 my invention are 'inexpensiveness of manufacture,

etlectiveness, of operation, nondiztbility of' derangement, simplicity of construction, economy of time and labor in installing and in effecting adjustments, and interchange ability of. a large number of parts oft-he device. Other more particular objects and ad vantages ofniy invention will. hereinafter ;rppear.

My invention includes relatively movable .contact members arranged in staggered or.

ofiset relation so that their paths ofmovement'may'overlap in the general direction of their. circuit-controlling movement. I My invention also includes means pro viding ior'adjustment of the contact mem bers to all desired positions along. support-.-

-, 'ing'bars, at least one of which is longitudiiially shiftable to effect the circuit-controlling operation.

invention also'includes details of con-' struction and combinations of parts, as will "appear from the following description.

I shallnow describe the circuit controller embodying my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and shall there- .atter point o'ut'my invention in claims.

Figure 1 i'sfa. side elevation, with parts broken away, and the framework 1n vertical section of an interlocking machine, and shows Specification of Letters Patent. .appli'cation filed 1111 25, 1912. seria no. 711,442.

Patented Dec. 17,1912.

in side elevation one of my improved "cir-i cuit controllers mounted on. the framework and operatively connected to the tappet bar of the interlocking machinefi Fig.v Qis a front elevation of the machine illustrated j in Fig. 1 as seenfrom the right, and

shows three levers of the machine, and.

shows front elevations of three-of my, 'improved .circuitcontrollers connected to the *ta'ppet bars corresponding to the respective lev rs. 'Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation,

wit 1 parts in section and parts omitted, of my improved circuit controller, -looking toward the side which is'in rear in Fig. 1. Fig. dis a front elevation as seen from the left in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transversesection on planes indicated by line 5- 5 of Fig. 4, as'viewed Fig. 6 is a transverse section from below. of one of the clamps foradjustably holding the cont-act sprmgs in place-onthe supporting bars. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the same as viewed from the right in Fig. 6 with the hook end of the clamp bolt omitted. Fig. 8 is an'inverted plan as viewed from below in Figs. 6 and 7 with the hook bolt o'mitted.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section illustrating a modified form of clamp for holding the contact springs on the bars. v YVhile the accompanying drawings 1 have illustrated my improved'circuit controll'er as embodied for use with an inter- ..lockingfmachine of a' wellknown and largely used type, it is to be understood that my invention'is 1n no'sense restricted to use with this particular style or type of interlocking machine, but could be employed with advantage with many other types of interlocking machines. .l urtherlnore, while the circuit controller of my invention is particularly intended and especially con extreme compactness and flexibility as to circuit combinations are peculiarly. advantageous.

Although interlocking machines are well known in the art, a brief description of the one illustrated in the drawings, and with downward a certain distance by the raising 50 which slioiild n'ot be. moved and the fillill ing of; the levers'which' directly and me;

which my improved, circuit 'eenitirciiei' shown as cpemtively cennectetl mey millil 1y assist to e. cleei' unclerstanding f the invention. In imilway traffic-centeclliiig s'opemtionsit, is oft-great advantage to be v able t0 control a large iiiimloer. of circuits and also to be able toeffect e maximum at variations inthe arrangements of the varipus circuits, and in the case of interlocking machines the problem is rendered more difficult by reascn oith'e fact that the meeb'le space to]: the circuit controllers is limited, perticule1-ly"in e lateral olirecticii, for the reeson'thet the switch and, si controlling levers such as l, 2 and 3 ,(Figs. -1 and 2) are arranged in. banks es-cl0sely togetheres possible. I

Cf'he levers 1,2 and 3 are 'shovi n 1 vided with cross-hers or bell-crank arms 26 for operating switches-{incl sigiizils iii f l the operation of a switch being inclieetetl.

by the rod 5 connected te the l the operation oir a signal being iiieice by the wires 6 connected to the ends efe arm. The interlocking"between. theilegve 1, 2, 3, etc'., is cont-iolle(l,- es isfeem interlocking machines; hythe levee ...tclies 7, actuetml by latch rolls 8 hermit -9 (Fig.1). '4 36 In the particulate -interleclyihg machine illustretedin the drawings, the usual ercu ete' slotted rockers 10 are pivoted on the frame of the machine endere-pi'vbtally c011- n ectednear their forward ends by means of rocker links 11 .t0 the upper ends of Vertically etrenged. ta'ppet. bars 12, and the lever latches 'lfhave pins engaging in the slots of the rcckers 10. m rengeme 1' is such that the teppet be! 12 will be move of the'letch '2'v to unlock the lever, will re main stationary at a micldlefposition (hiring the movement of theleverf and will receive a further 7 downward movement When the latch '7 descends to lock thelever in the re verse position. r hetappet bars 12 i'neclr i c ally control the interlocking betWeei: the several levers," the first movement of tepp'et baiefi'ect iiigthe locki'nglof all levers movement of the teppetbar-effecting the unlcckiiigef-ell levers jvlhich may then 'moved'. 1 lnfa-dd-ition to tlie mechanicalinterlock- '-.chenica-lly -c0nt1 ol switches and signals the demands of service require also the electrical control of switches andsignals and. forthis purpose electrical circuit.yeonti'ellers '50 are empleyed' endere; operated from the tsppet bei's fifths-interlocking machines. The censtnietien and opem tlon 0i? thecircult -controller cfm intention will now heperticulei'iy described. 5 In the'pei 'biciileirembodiment 0f iiicvable eentact mes sis Contact c l i ere is are meimtefl en e leiigitii lmellyshiftebleilet epeietii g be; and sflstieiitii y eeiitect members ere meunted en similar stationery bets .145,

all of the beef" 01? suitable insulel l g reteriel, such v.

'lhe' stetl nary-hairs emllel te the sliittzub eece size and in rear -Ell9lji3 stetieneizy hers l l may form a pest ef the heme 6f the unitary- (lcvi'ce and are shown as firmly. securefiet their encls by means serews te end-siippcrts/,'15., The end supperts frent to form guuleweys fer the shiftshle hmireetefi at the bar 13 which is slielebly held pleee inthe text-lie ct these SllpPQilZ-S by means eftrggns;

"I cras timber jllews frame (Figs.

her 13 carries a series of elecei strips of sheet metal exteiiding transversely of the longitudinally movable bar 13, and are shewn'es provided with rearwardly turneol contact-making end'pcrtions WlllChare somewhat Wider than the middle of transverse portions of these members and are turned slighey 111 :1 lateral direction t0 iiig "eertiens movable i spaced parallel in the ..0'aily two such re shown one such centact member .iOr of two sets, but it is: to be understooclthat each "of the Contact members 18 illustrated cou'lcl' be re peeled. along the bar 13, it being, in fact the intention to employ more er fewer of" the bridges of movable Contact members 18 in'eech set according, to the particular 1e quirements of the lIlStElllltiUlL By reaso ime their offset 01* staggered arrangement, the

i8 mey be placed closer toe'etl ei" en her 13 than otherw se, and thls \J i is likewise truce)? the stationary Contact members meunted on the stationery bars .14.

The stationary emit-act members are shewn es fciivercll t springs 19 end- "it ehilfl'may all v lcepting that .terlocking", every possible safeguard and precautionis and should .befemployed. There fore, to, obviate even extremely remote,

possibility of electrical. contact between adr- (ii the carrier blocksQltjliereif'or on the same 1 bar, which might occur through loosening of clamps, electrically insulative spacingblocks ,30- are provided These spacing 1g blocks may be of any suitable insulating material, suchfas.hardnrnhhenand may be, as shown, of substantially iii-shape, having a f d middle securing portion and enl ,projecting {end portions or heads. he reduced middle portions of the spacing tiloeksgOfare received in notches extending parallel with the supporting bar in the front the carrier blocks 21', the spacing blocks {lying-beneath the -contact members and heing held in'q-place thereby. The projecting heads of the spacing blocks normally are not in contact with one another,

out are substant'iallyffspaced, as appears in the drawings,;and would not come in con- 5 tact except under the extreme or unusual conditions above mentioned. 1 V

In the modifiednconstrnctionof contact i'nembeii attaching ineansjllustrated in Fig.

;' '9, ajslightly modified carrier-block 31 and sdpportiiig bar 32'are employed, in which the tliothed, strip 28,.the toothed gripping plug 129 and the emergency spacing blocksso am omiaed, andin lieu thereof the car.-.

. rier blockfil, in addition to being" clamped 35; in place by a hook bolt 22, isassured against displacement or'slippage along, the bar 32 by meansof-a wood screw 33-whi'chcpa sses through the forward portion of the carrier block 31 and enters the front of the bar 32,

4o ,which'may begof wood, thescrew 33 having its headcountersunk beneath the seat for-the corresponding contact member by which such screw is. covered, and locked in place. The modified construction of Fig. 9 maybe i h @5- (nnployed inf many cases in which, after'the I circuit} controller is initially 'setjnp' or. iii-.- stalled lie-changes or adjustments are likely.

,tiecessary fora longfperiodt L yention with an'interlocking machine, as illpstlf ited in; Figs. I,' a nd; 2 of the draw.- ings, theupper endr ofthe longitudinally shiftabl'e operating bar 133s connected with the lowere n'diof a tappet' bar why-means of aj-linkit li pivoted-athits lower ndf 'to the operating bar 13fv and 'pivoted its upper end on a stud -35. projecting from v the lower end-of thetappet' 19812 51,"

As vher'einbefore' explai ed, the ripper; tar.

-- 12 has; twoqinovements in; the same: direction for each movement of the'leverof the interlocking machine. In the machine illustrated" and as is comm0n',,the'-fullfextentoftappet. bar movement "is one and one-eighth inches sing theflcircuit controlle'rfof pres-i occurring when a lever' of the" machine is unthe interlockingart',"a' standard requirement locked and. the otherw'hen it is again locked, Q h the tappet bar emaining stationary during I h I the time that-t re lever is being moved. g, acent o1 neighboring) contaetr'menrbers' or},

is that electrically conductive parts, such as the carrier blocks 2liand'the contact mem-j bers carried thereby, hall have'a minimum 'spacingfor distance between them ofat least three-'eighths of an inch; The circuit COntrolle-r'of my invention illustrated in the is ned and pro ortioned vto operate under the above descri ed standard.

conditions as to extent of movement comlTlUnlCttiQCl to the operating bar 13 fromthe tappetbar 12, and alsoas to the required minimum spacing of the electrically conductive parts of the device. v

'As lllustrated in the drawings, all ofthe shiftable operating .bars 13 are shown in their upper positions, corresponding tot-he normal positions of the in'terlocking'levers I 1, 2, 3, etc. Also throughout the drmvings,v including the three circuit'controllers illus trated in Fig- 2, a similar, arrangement of contact members is shown,v for simplicity.

of illustration, but fit-is to be understood that a different I arrangement and number of the contact members could and in practice, as occasion might require, would be emof the objects accomplished by my invention ployed. In fact, as 'hereinbefore stated, one

is the great number of, combinative arrange-q; ments of circuits that'canvbe effected by.

means of this construction, which is very compact inall'its'dimensions and permitsa great many circuits :to be opened and closed. Also each installation and each leveriof the. interlocking machine calls for a peculiar ar- -rangement of circuit opening and closing devices, and the construction. -permits'-the widest variation of these operations, by ad shiftable and stationary bars.-

ustm'ent of the contact members on the In the particular arrangementflillustrated in the drawings, theshiftable operating bar '13 carries two movable contact members 18 arranged, in; ofiset or staggered relation laterally, and each "stationary supporting bar 1% carries -fo-ur contact-springs, two

outersprings 19 and two inner springs2 0,-

ithesprings. 19 and QObeing arranged 1n -,c' rcuits through'the circuit controller, two

staggeredrelation laterally; oi? the' device.- Theyarrangenient shown provides for..f0urof which are closed in; one extreme position 3 oftheshiftable operating bar. 12;and "the other two'offwhich will be closediiin the other extreme positionlof the ojprati-ngfhar,

all of the circuits" being open wh en -the 2 operating 'bar' is'in its intermediate pos ti on; I In the position ofthe parts illustrated 'in'jthegdrawings, the uppermost bridging:

j: movable I (contact member 18" is-"in contact o (iividdinto two-equalimpulscs, one impulseg withpthe uppermost outer contact spring roan ire operating bar 13 in lateral otfsetrelation to the upper movable contact member and is in contact at the left with an inner cont-act spring '20 and at the right with an outer cont-act spring 19, completing the circuit between these contact springs. in the intermediate position of the-operating bar 13, all of the circuits shown will be open, the upper bridging contact member 18' then coming oppositethe first inner stationary contact spring 20 at the leftand opposite vthe corresponding outer contact spring '19 at the right in spaced relation thereto because of theoiisetting or staggered arrangement of all of the contact members. The second movable cont-act member 18 will come opposite to the second outer stationary contact spring 19 at the left and opposite the second inner stationary contact spring 20 at the right in spaced relation to both of these contact springs. In the lower position of the shifta-ble operating bar 13, the upper movable contact member 18 will make contact with the second. outer stationary contact spring. 19 at the left and with the second inner stationary contact spring 20 at the right, completing the circuit through these contact springs. The other or secondmovable contact member 18 will make con tact with the second stationary contact spring 20 at the left'and with the second stationary contactspring 19 at the right, completing'the circuit through these contact springs. In the position of the parts shown in the drawings, the two upper circuits'are closed and the two lower circuits are open; inthe lower position of the operating bar 13, the two upper circuits will be open and the two; lower circuits closed.

It to be understood that additional movable and stationary contact members may be attached to the respective shiftable and stationary bars 13 and 1%, as is indi;

cated in the drawings by the vacant spaces on the lower portions of the contact-member supporting bars 13 and 1%; also that the combina'tive arrangements of the contact members shown or of additional contact members may be widely varied from the ar rangement shown in the drawings, according to the results to be obtained. F or example, the arrangement could be such that a movable contact member 18 will remain in contact throughout its mo'vcn'ient with a stationary contact spring 19 or 20 at one side of the device and \.lll;Siillit the circuit connection of this contact spring fronrone to another of the stationary contact springs 19 or 20 at the other side or the device. Many other useful combinations and ar- 1 a i i the drawings and above particularly derangeinents of circuit control will readily occur to those skilled in the art, as the cXigencies ot the case may demand.

lit is obvious that various modifications may be made in the constructions shown in m scribed within the my invention.

lclaim: I 1.. An electric circuit controller comprising a longitudinally shi ttable operating bar, a plurality of contact members carried by the longitudinally shiftable operating bar". and arranged in sets so that the contact making portions of the contact'members of different "sets move in different planes, and a plurality of stationary electric contact members arranged in sets corresponding to the sets of movable contact members and having contact-making portions in difierent planes in the paths of the contactnnaking portions of the movable contact members of corresponding sets.

an electric circuit controller comprising a longitudinally shiftable'operating bar, a plurality of electric contact members arranged in two groups alongside of the lonprinciple' and scope otsaid group having contact members belonging to a plurality of sets of such contact members having contact-making portions arranged in oilset relation, and a plurality of electrically conductive bridges carried by the longitudinally shittablc operating bar for bridging the spaces between the two groups of electric contact members and arranged in sets having contact-making portions in offset relation corresponding to and cooperative with the correspondingly ofiset contact-making portions of the electric contact members of corresponding sets of such electric contact members.

3. An electric circuitcont-roller compris ing a longitudinally shiftable operating har, two stationary barsalongside, of. and 'substantially parallel with the longitudinally shiftable operating bar, a series of electric contact members arranged-along and mounted 611 each stationary bar, and a series of electrically conductive bridges arranged along and mounted on the longitudinally shiftable operatingbar for electrically connecting electric contact members on one of the stationary bars with electric; contact members on the other stationary bar, the 1% electric contact members and the electrically conductive bridges being arranged in a' plurality of corresponding sets with the contact-making portions or" each set of the electric contact members arranged in the paths of the contactunaking portions of the corresponding set of electrically conductive bridges and out of the paths of the contactmaking portions of the electrically conduo tive bridges of non-correspond]ng sets. 13o

4. An electric circuit controller cornprising a longitudinally shiftable'op'era-tin her,

two stationary bars alongside ofan.-'sub stantially parallel with the longitudinally shiftable operating bar, a" series offelectrit 7 contact members arranged alongand mount-- edon each stationary'bar, a seriesof; elec.:

trically conductive bridges arranged along and mounted onthe longitudinally shifta-ble operating bar. for electrically connecting electric contact members on one of the stationary bars with electric contact members on the other stationary bar, the electrically;-

conduct-ive bridges and the electric co'ntact members being adjustable. to all positions along the respective bars.

5. An electric circuit controller. comprising a longitudinally shiftable operating bar,

two stationary bars alongside of and sub stantially parallel with the longitudinally sliiftable operating bar, a series of electric contact members arranged along and mounted on eachstationary bar, and a series of electrically conductive bridges arranged along and mounted on the longitudinally shiftable operating bar for electrically connecting electric contact members onone of:

the stationary bars with electric contact members on the other stationary bar, the

electricfcontactmembers and the electrically conductive bridges being arranged in'a plurality of corresponding sets with the contact-making portionsot each set of'the elec tric contact members arrangedin the paths electrically conductive bridges and the electric contact'members being adj ustableto all positions along therespectiveloa'rs. 4 .6. An electr1c eircuit'controller comprising a longitudinally shiftable operating bar,

two stationary bars alongside of and substantially parallel with the longitudinally shiftable operating-bar, a series of electric contact terminals arranged along and bridgesarrang'ed'along and mounted on the longitudinally shiftable operating bar, each such bridge having two contact-making p01:

tions, one suchfcontact-making portion for each stationary bar,-the bridges having their mounted on each stationary bar and an-W. ranged on ,.G3C-h bar with contact-making portionsin staggered relation along the bar, and [a ..'series of electrically conductivecontact -making portionsfor each stationary I bar arrangedin'staggeredrelation along the longitudinally 'shiftable operating bar, cor

responding to the similar staggered arrangeinent of the contact-making portions of'the electriccontact terminals of the stationary bars. j e a 1 -7., In an electric c1rcu1t controller, in com- ,bin'ation, a bar provided along-one of its sides with teeth inclined transversely of the bar, an electric contact member, a clamp for holding and positioning the contact member on the bar and provided with a plug-receivingrecess adjacent to the toothed side of the bar, and a cylindrical spirally-toothed plug held in the recess of the clamp so that its spiral teeth project into engagementwith the inclinedteeth on the bar, whereby rotation' of the plug will efl'ect an accurate positioning of the clamp longitudinally of the bar. I p 8. In an electric circuit controller, in com-.

bination, a bar, -a plurality of electrically conductive contact members, a plurality of trically insulative spacing blocks carried by the clamps and having portions projecting between the clamps so as to prevent the possibility of an electrical connection being formed between adjacent clamps or-- contact members.

In testimonyv whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' SAMUEL P. HULL.

lVitnesses -HEN'RY D. lVILLIAMs',

BERNARD COWEN.

' clamps adjustable along the bar for holding and spacing the contact members, and elec 

